Hairspray is a musical based on the 1988 John Waters movie Hairspray with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. The story is about a teenager Tracy Turnblad which dream is to dance on the Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show and when she wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. The musical transferred to Broadway beginning on August 15, 2002 at the Neil Simon Theatre, where it is still running after a tryout run at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. In September 2003 in Baltimore started the First Equity National Tour started which ended in June 2006.

Starring Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad and John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Hairspray was adapted as a musical film in 2007. Before its official opening on October 30, the London West End production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 11, 2007 for previews. In October 2007 the South African production opened in Johannesburg with the original direction and choreography re-created by Matt Lenz and Greg Graham. In St. Gallen, Switzerland at the Theater St. Gallen on March 15, 2008 was opened the Swiss/German-language premiere of Hairspray and later this year will be held a production in Argentina. At the International Thespian Festival by the 2008 International Thespian Cast of Hairspray will be presented the first student performance of Hairspray and on July 5, 2008 it will open in Shanghai, China at the Grand Theatre.